By Tedrick Yau
Aside from their flavorful and indulgent characteristics, chocolates – especially those produced by local farmers in the Philippines – also carry with them quite a rich history. And it’s something you might just want to nibble on one of these days.
If eating chocolates simply feels too indulgent, then Auro’s Home Series: Introduction to Chocolate Tasting, may be just what your sweet tooth needs. The new platform connects chocolate lovers together from the comfort of their own homes; offering an experiential understanding on the look, feel and taste of their locally produced chocolates.
Having said this, it’s not just a question of having dessert anymore. It’s a learning experience. And so, in the quest for knowledge, a bite or two of chocolate is required. No ifs, no buts!
Mark Ocampo, co-founder and managing director of Auro, shares, “Since we’re all staying home more during this time, we wanted to find new ways to safely engage our community in a fun and educational way.”
The concept consists of two elements. One, there’s an exquisite tasting kit that you can order from the Auro website. And two, the virtual “Introduction to Chocolate Tasting” class that you can attend with your fellow chocolate (history) junkies every Friday at five in the afternoon.
Everything is done conveniently at home. Schedule options will be provided upon ordering of the Home Series on Auro’s website. Afterwards, the kit will be delivered right to one’s doorstep.
The tasting kit contains a guided program and a tasting sheet. These will come in handy as you snack your way across different kinds of chocolates named after the respective municipalities in Mindanao, from which they are sourced. Included in the reserved collection are dark chocolates such as Saloy, Tupi, and Paquibato (the the highlights, I would say); as well as a packet of cacao beans, roasted cacao nibs, and two pieces of the Milk Chocolate w/ Nibs.
“Our most special collection consists of products made by only one farming community, during one year of harvest. You’ll able to taste the unique characteristics of each kind of chocolate, when you have them one after the other,” says Ocampo.
The kit also comes with information that gives you access to the Zoom link for “Introduction to Chocolate,” which is an enjoyable online course ideal for those who want to delve into the history of local chocolate. There you will also learn about farming, roasting, conching, grinding and tempering cacao beans – everything needed to transform beans to bars!
And you’ll be learning from the experts, too. Globally, Auro Chocolate was the only Filipino chocolate brand to represent the Philippines in this year’s International Chocolate Awards – Asia Pacific 2020 where it won a total of five Gold Awards. Auro is alspo currently available in over 12 countries with a store in Tokyo, another one under way in Japan, and two more in other countries.
